True Detective season 3 finally has a premiere date. HBO has been a bit quiet on specific details when it comes to the upcoming season of the acclaimed anthology crime drama. Previously, a trailer revealed that the series was set to return in January, but the network still remained mum in regards to when, specifically, we'll be able to see if the show will return to its former glory. Now, it's been revealed that Sunday, January 13, 2019, is the date people need to mark down on their calendars.

Nic Pizzolatto took a good long break following the release of True Detective season 2 in 2015. The show's sophomore season doubled down on stars, bringing in Colin Farrell, Vince Vaughn, Taylor Kitsch and Rachel McAdams. But the partial Wedding Crashers reunion didn't manage to do the trick for many viewers and critics and the season failed to live up to the almost impossible expectations placed upon it by its predecessor. At that point, it wasn't clear if another season was ever going to happen.

But after some time away, Nic Pizzolatto returned and, based on what we know about the show's return and from what we've seen, it looks like the break may have done everyone some good. True Detective season 3 centers on a man investigating a disturbing crime in the heart of the Ozarks. It's a mystery that reveals itself and only becomes more intriguing over the course of decades, playing out in three separate time periods. The man in question is Oscar-winner Mahershala Ali. Getting him on board seemed to get many viewers back on board. And for good reason, as Ali is one of the more promising actors working currently.

Beyond having a solid lead, HBO has assembled one heck of a cast for season 3. Other cast members include Scoot McNairy, Stephen Dorff, Carmen Ejogo, Mamie Gummer, Rhys Wakefield, Sarah Gadon, Emily Nelson, Michael Greyeyes, Brandon Flynn, Michael Graziadei, Jon Tenney and, possibly most interesting of all, Justice League star Ray Fisher. It also appears, based on the first very atmospheric trailer, that this is going back to the roots and will more closely resemble the first season. Then again, who knows what Pizzolatto has cooked up this time around. There are sure to be a few curveballs.

True Detective season 1 is considered to be one of the high points in the modern age of television, rallying around its leads, Woody Harrelson and Matthew McConaughey. That's part of what made the follow-up so disappointing. The upcoming batch of episodes is largely in Nic Pizzolatto's hands. He wrote every single episode himself, save for episode 4, which he co-wrote with David Milch, of Deadwood fame. The season's directors include Daniel Sackheim, alongside Green Room and Hold the Dark filmmaker Jeremy Saulnier, who helmed the first two episodes. Be sure to keep an eye out for True Detective season 3 on HBO Sundays starting January 13 next year.

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